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Extra super-nutritious foods

We hear in the media a lot about how important eating fruits and vegetables is, and about the supposed wonders of latest rare and expensive super-fruit but real super-foods involve so much more than just fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are great but they aren't the whole story when it comes to a very nutrient dense diet.

This page discusses extra super-nutritious foods including:

Bone broths

Coconut oil

Soaked and dried/sprouted or cultured foods

Liver, fermented cod liver oil and other organ products

Unrefined sea salt

Vegetable juices

Check the bottom of the page for recipe links.

Bone broths

Eating meat has many health benefits, but to get the most benefit from eating meat it is best to eat all 3 types of animal products, if possible. These are: organ meats, bone broths (stocks made with animal carcasses) and muscle meats.

If possible, all of these meats should be from organic grass-fed animals. Also where possible, meats should be from a wide variety of different animals including game. Game meats include venison, deer, wild boar, emu, ostrich, buffalo, rabbit and kangaroo. Where possible choose sustainably caught meat. Most of us are limited in what meat we have access to and can afford financially but these ideal options are listed for those few that are lucky enough to have the option to include them.

Bone broths contain many different nutrients in easy to absorb forms. They are a good source of calcium, glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM. They are made by cooking animal carcasses over a low heat in water for hours at a time. The longer the stock is allowed to develop the more flavoursome it will be. Six hours is ideal, if this is possible.

The stock can then be used as a base to make all sorts of dishes including vegetable soups and vegetable and meat soups. Stock can be made from red meats and also chicken and fish. For stock recipes see the books and articles by Sally Fallon listed on this page.

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is a healthy saturated fat which is very easily digested and absorbed compared to other oils. Coconut oil is absorbed directly from the intestines into the portal vein and sent straight to the liver, whereas other fats require pancreatic enzymes to break them into smaller units. It is highly nutritious and provides a quick source or energy just like sugar but without the negative effect on health and insulin levels. The fat in coconut oil is used rapidly and not stored.

Coconut oil also has many other medicinal benefits. Research has shown that coconut oil will:

Roughly 50% of the fatty acids in coconut oil are lauric acid – the same medium chain fatty acid found in human breast milk. Lauric acid has the additional benefit of being formed into monolaurin in the human body.

Monolaurin

Monolaurin is the compound in coconut oil responsible for fighting numerous types of infections. A large body of research has established the ability of lauric acid and monolaurin to fight bacterial, fungal and viral infections.

Dr Sherry Rogers explains that, ‘Monolaurin actually disintegrates the lipid envelope or membrane of viruses, destroying their main defence.’ It stops viruses form replicating and from attaching to cells. She adds that monolaurin has been shown in studies to dissolve the protective membrane from 14 types of human viruses including measles, flu, herpes simplex, chickenpox, EBV, cytomegalovirus and SARS-type viruses.

Capric acid

Coconut oil also contains capric acid, a substance that has antimicrobial properties. Capric acid is transformed into ‘monocaprin’ in the human body.

Caprylic Acid

Coconut oil also contains caprylic acid, a substance that is specifically effective for killing candida overgrowth on contact in the intestines.

Dosage and uses

Dosage of coconut oil used medicinally is usually at least 1 – 3 tablespoons daily. Some recommend doses of 5 – 6 tablespoons daily. 3 – 4 tablespoons of coconut oil is the equivalent of eating half a fresh coconut.

The article Mary Enig Ph.D. on the Effects of Coconut Oil on Serum Cholesterol Levels and HDLs explains, ‘Based on her calculations on the amount of lauric acid found in human Mother's milk, Dr. Enig suggests a rich lauric acid diet would contain about 24 grams of lauric acid daily for the average adult. This amount could be found in about 3.5 tablespoons of coconut oil or 7 ounces [210 grams] of raw coconut.’

Improvements in energy levels may be seen at a dose of 1 teaspoon taken 3 times daily, according to coconut oil author S. Gursche. At least 3 tablespoons daily is often recommended for weight loss – along with a reduced or moderate intake of carbohydrates in the diet, cutting out all processed carbohydrate foods and including other types of healthy fats in the diet.

Caprylic acid can cause nausea and several of the antiviral and antifungal compounds in coconut oil can cause herxheimer reactions. Thus coconut oil should only be started at a dose of one teaspoon daily and raised slowly. Taking ½ a teaspoon of raw apple cider vinegar with the coconut oil taken at each meal can aid in digestion of the oil, if a digestion aid is needed.

Expect to wait 4 – 6 weeks to see an effect.

Coconut oil is perfect for cooking as it isn’t damaged by high temperatures. Taken with meals it can aid digestion. Sally Fallon of the Western A. Price Foundation recommends that 1 tablespoon be taken before or with each main meal to improve health and also to facilitate weight loss.

Coconut oil can also be used as a moisturiser for skin, a lip balm or as a hair conditioner. Coconut oil is used in good quality baby milk formulas. It can also be used topically to treat rashes.

Supplements of monolaurin and capryllic acid are also available. Dr Sherry Rogers recommends two 300 mg monolauren capsules be taken 3 times daily at the first sign of an infection, and for several weeks after the infection has cleared. (Note that such a high dosage may cause an extreme herxheimer reaction in M.E. patients and others and so is not necessarily recommended.) Dr Rogers comments that antiviral drugs may predispose patients to cancer years after their use.

Which type to buy

The best type to buy is organic extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil. The second best type is organic virgin coconut oil. Other types are refined and bleached and not recommended.

Coconut oil is stable at room temperature and does not need refrigeration. It has a very subtle coconutty taste and is usually solid at room temperature. In warm weather, the oil liquefies.

Fresh coconut flesh and milk is also a healthy addition to the diet. Canned coconut milk or cream can also be a healthy part of the diet, particularly if products can be found that do not contain emulsifiers or harmful preservatives. Canned food products are not ideal however.

Soaked and dried/sprouted or cultured foods

These foods are full of natural enzymes and probiotics and can really help heal the gut and aid digestion. Good choices include:

Raw milk kefir

Coconut water or filtered water kefir

Raw milk homemade 24 hour yogurt

Coconut milk homemade 24 hour yogurt

Sauerkraut (cultured raw cabbage)

Kvass

Kombucha

Some products can be made at home or bought pre-prepared. These products may not be for everyone and products must be chosen carefully and assessed for quality before consuming.

Making your own yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut at home is very easy and highly recommended.

Starting portion sizes should be very low. Some patients may react badly to the dairy products used to make these foods or to the fact that they are fermented.Kombucha may be a riskier choice than many of the others listed as it is mushroom based.

Soaking and then either sprouting or drying all nuts and seeds is also highly recommended in order to deactivate enzyme inhibitors.

Liver, fermented cod liver oil and other organ products

Eating liver is very good for your liver. Eating adrenal glands is good for your adrenals, eating thyroid glands is good for your thyroid, and eating tongue...is just disgusting! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)

Liver products contain high levels of the fat soluble vitamins A, K2 and D. They also contain many important cofactors for these vitamins. Liver products are abundant sources of arachidonic acid, EPA, DHA, carnitine, lipoic acid, and the B vitamins. Charts of the nutrients found in liver can be found here and here.

When it comes to getting the nutrients from liver there are four main options:

Add some cooked liver into the diet

Take a liver extract in pill form daily.

Take cod liver oil daily.

Have an injections of liver extract.

Eating freshly cooked organic liver

Around 100 – 120 g weekly of freshly cooked organic liver, from grass-fed animals, is the amount often recommended. Probably the best way to eat it is to combine it with lots of seasonings in a pâté. Liverwurst without additives is another option.

Raw liver is not considered safe to consume. Dr Sherry Rogers recommends buying fresh liver, freezing it in 15 gram serves (for 2 weeks) and blending up 30 – 60 grams daily and then adding it to a glass of vegetable juice, to cover up the taste.

Eating freshly cooked organic liver is a better choice than a liver supplement, but where fresh liver is not available or not desirable to eat, supplements are a good second-best choice.

The best type of liver extract is freeze dried. This form is far superior to dessicated and defatted forms.

A whole food liver powder is also available. If it is not possible to eat fresh liver, this product could be a very healthy addition to your diet. The advantage of the freshly cooked whole liver and wholefood liver power (placed on the tongue and swallowed quickly with water while holding your nose) is that they are not defatted, as are many encapsulated liver products. This means that they still contain all the original fat soluble vitamins such as vitamin A and D.

The disadvantage of whole food liver powder is that it really does taste terrible. (No, I have never tasted it before but to me it tastes like.... GRAVE DIRT! Just unbelievably awful.)

Cod liver oil

The best form of cod liver oil is fermented cod liver oil (FCLO). Fermented cod liver oil has not been subjected to any high heat processing which destroys vitamin content. That is unique so far in the industry. Fermented cod liver oil is much higher in vitamins A, D and K2 without the additional of synthetic vitamins. Significantly lower doses of vitamins A and D from FCLO may be needed as compared to synthetic versions of these nutrients which do not contain the all-important cofactors which may enhance the body's uptake and usage.

Cod liver oil is also rich in the omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA.

The dosage is usually 1 teaspoon daily for adults, and 2 teaspoons daily for those fighting serious illness.

For a list of suppliers of fermented cod liver oil see the Westen A. Price Foundation website’s Cod Liver Oil Basics and Recommendations and FCLO page. This product is considered as a superfood rather than a supplement and is also considered by the Westen A. Price Foundation as a far superior source of Omega 3s compared to fish oil. (Which they explains is always heat treated and heavily processed, as well as not containing vitamins A, D and K2.) They also recommend that cod liver oil always be combined with a diet containing whole foods and good sources of healthy saturated fats such as butter or coconut oil.

FCLO is more expensive than other cod liver oils. If FCLO doesn’t fit into the budget, standard or high-vitamin cod liver oils from Carlson’s and Twin labs are the next best choices. Dosage is usually 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon daily.

Dr Sherry Rogers explains that cod liver oil is crucial for the control of over 1000 genes as well as repair of the mitochondria.

Liver extract injections

Advocates of the Klenner program today consider twice-weekly liver injections as an essential and non-negotiable part of the therapy, crucial to its success. Other forms of liver are considered not as potent. Dr Klenner explains that liver, ‘Contains factors still unknown but essential in metabolism.’

The Gerson juicing program for cancer and degenerative diseases is similar in some ways to the Klenner protocol. Both consider injections of liver extract given twice weekly or more as essential to the success of the therapy, although the Gerson program also recommends daily liver extract tablets. Taking some CoQ10 daily is also considered a partial-substitute for large amounts of liver products, according to the Gerson protocol.

Combining different sources of liver products and vitamins A and D

The amount of vitamin A and D in any liver products you are taking should always be taken into account when deciding the dosage of other products containing these vitamins. A limit of 30 000 IU of vitamin A from all sources is recommended as safe by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig.

Vitamin D levels should be checked periodically to determine the correct dosage of all vitamin D containing foods and supplements.

Women that are pregnant or may become pregnant are generally recommended to take no more than 6000 IU of synthetic vitamin A daily. Very high vitamin A levels can cause problems for the foetus but so can very low vitamin A levels. Women in either of these positions should read more about safe vitamin A supplementation in pregnancy before taking any supplements, to make sure they are making the best and safest choices. The Western A. Price Foundation warns that solidified, water soluble and emulsified vitamin A is not the best choice. See the reference list for links.

High levels of vitamin A should be avoided by alcoholics.

Other animal product superfoods

Eating meat has many health benefits, but to get the most benefit from eating meat it is best to eat all 3 types of animal products, if possible. These are: organ meats, bone broths (stocks made with animal carcasses) and muscle meats.

If possible, all of these meats should be from organic grass-fed animals. Also where possible, meats should be from a wide variety of different animals including game. Game meats include venison, deer, wild boar, emu, ostrich, buffalo, rabbit and kangaroo. Where possible choose sustainably caught meat. Most of us are limited in what meat we have access to and can afford financially (including me) but these ideal options are listed for those few that are lucky enough to have the option to include them.

Types of seafood known to be high in mercury should be eaten only very occasionally, if at all.

Free range eggs are a very healthy food to add to the diet providing that allergies to eggs aren’t a problem, nor the lectins which can be produced by eating eggs.

Raw milk contains enzymes and beneficial bacteria that aid in its own digestion and is a very good dietary choice if made into kefir or 24 hour yogurt – if it is well tolerated and form a reliable and high quality source.

Unrefined sea salt

The book Salt your way to health by holistic medicine expert Dr Brownstein explains that the 3 main myths about salt are that low salt diets are healthy, that there is no difference between table salt and unrefined sea salt and that low salt products are good for you.

Table salt vs. unrefined sea salt

Refined salt or table salt doesn't provide the body with the 80 or so different trace minerals and elements that unrefined sea salt does. The overuse of table salt can lead to adrenal problems and can stop recovery from adrenal exhaustion as well as promote acidity. Table salt causes excess fluid in body tissue, which can contribute to cellulite, rheumatism, arthritis, gout and kidney and gall bladder stones. To make salt easier to pour or shake onto food aluminum hydroxide is often added, despite the fact that this light alloy deposits in the brain and is a possible cause Alzheimer's disease. Table salt may also contain fluoride and chlorine. Dried at over 650 °C (1200 °F) the excessive heat alters the natural chemical structure of the salt, which in turn adversely affects the human body.

Not only does table salt not benefit your health it damages health by depleting the body of valuable minerals, which makes us more susceptible to diseases. The body also sacrifices tremendous amounts of energy (and intercellular water) to try to metabolise highly refined salt crystals.

Table salt is not necessary for good health and should be eliminated from the diet completely or as much as is possible. It is an unnatural and highly refined product. This includes iodised table salts. (Iodised table salts contain very small amounts of iodine which are not very available to the body. It is enough to prevent goiter, but nowhere near enough to provide the optimum levels of iodine the body needs.)

Unrefined sea salt, however, is vital for good health. Unrefined sea salt contains all of the minerals and trace minerals necessary for optimal functioning of our bodies.

This distinction between unhealthy and healthy salt is particularly important for M.E. patients (as well as patients with primary POTS). M.E. patients are often recommended to significantly increase salt intake or to make electrolyte drinks containing salt but it is not always made clear that the type of salt chosen for these purposes is important, and that increasing the use of highly refined salt can be problematic rather than helpful.

Why is table salt so commonly used?

Table salt provides big benefits for manufacturers over unrefined sea salt. Table salt contains only chloride and sodium, plus up to 2% toxic additives used in the bleaching and drying processes etc. which ensures the product has an almost indefinite shelf life. Refined salt is bleached white to make it more attractive to consumers, and more saleable. Refined salt can be produced from contaminated sources and the contaminants removed with the use of harsh chemicals such as chlorine, which saves money.

How can you tell which salts are unrefined?

Unrefined sea salt may be light brown, grey or pink but is never pure white. Unrefined sea salt form different areas contains slightly different amounts of each mineral, so there is some colour variation. Unrefined sea salt also dissolves in water. Products labelled 'sea salt' are almost always highly refined and unhealthy salts. (Most salt came form the ocean originally, so the label of 'sea salt' is meaningless.) Rock salt is also not the same as unrefined sea salt, and does not provide the same benefits.

Look for products such as Celtic sea salt or Himalayan sea salt which contain around 80 trace minerals and elements. These salts are often slightly moist and not fully dry. They are free of additives, chemicals and have been sun-dried.

The role and benefits of unrefined sea salt

Dr Brownstein explains that it is impossible to have an optimum immune system or nervous system where salt is deficient.

Optimal salt intake is vital for proper adrenal function (and as part of an adrenal exhaustion recovery program). The adrenal cortex produces the hormones that regulate many vital bodily functions such as blood sugar levels, blood pressure, water and salt distribution, as well as muscle strength and energy. Hormones produced in the adrenal cortex include cortisone, DHEA, progesterone, the estrogens, testosterone, pregnenolone and aldosterone.

Adrenal problems cause thyroid problems, and vice versa, so optimal salt intake is also necessary for proper thyroid function. Table salt does not supply the nutrition needed by the thyroid and leads to a poor conversion of inactive (T4) thyroid hormone to active (T3) thyroid hormone. Unrefined sea salt helps this conversion.

Salt regulates electrical activity in the body, along with potassium, calcium and magnesium

Salt also aids the absorption of food particles through your intestinal tract, supports respiratory and sinus health, can help to prevent muscle cramps and promote bone strength and helps to regulate and promote sleep.

Unrefined salt in water lowers acidity. This is important, as various enzymes can become deactivated with too acidic or too alkaline an environment. Refined foods are acidic and minerals are alkalising. The more ill a person is, the more acidic their body is, generally speaking. Reducing acidity can help to reduce food intolerances as well as any problems tolerating certain vitamin supplements.

Salt can facilitate detoxification of various harmful chemicals in the body. Increased chloride in the diet means more bromide is released by the kidneys for excretion. (Note that adequate salt and iodine levels are very important where there is high bromide exposure. Bromide is in many different foods and drugs. Bromide is more toxic where there is iodine deficiency.)

The adult body contains roughly 250 grams of salt. Dr Brownstein comments that how much salt we need to take in each day depends on how much water we drink and recommends ¼ teaspoon of unrefined sea salt for every litre (or quart) of water. (A litre of water and a quart of water are very nearly the same. 1 litre = 1.056688 quarts.) Generally, Dr Brownstein recommends in his book that people with serious health issues drink 2 litres of water daily, and between ½ to 1 teaspoon of salt daily.

Electrolyte drinks taken to increase blood volume in M.E. should always be made with unrefined sea salt, and never table salt. The salt in these drinks should count towards the ideal daily salt intake of up to 1 teaspoon, rather than taken in addition to this amount.

Mix ¼ teaspoon of salt and the same amount of bicarb/baking soda with 240 ml/8 oz of pure water to treat a runny nose, and to lubricate the nasal passages and provide antibacterial and antihistamine benefits. Salt can also be inhaled to help treat various respiratory problems such as asthma.

Salt cautions

Those with renal failure need a low salt diet. If you have kidney disease, you must consult with your doctor before adding salt to your regimen.

It turns out the studies showing the supposed benefits of a low-salt diet for all of us, were wrong. The studies were flawed. (Read Dr Brownstein's book or article on salt for details on the flaws in some of these studies.) Dr Brownstein explains that, 'There is enough evidence to discount the myth that salt = hypertension. Good salt, unrefined sea salt, does not cause hypertension. In fact, its use can actually help prevent and treat hypertension.'

Dr Brownstein explains that while a low salt diet may modestly lower blood pressure in salt sensitive individuals, this comes at the price of causing other serious problems involving a lack of salt. A low salt diet can lead to a build-up of toxic elements in the body (eg. bromide, pesticides, heavy metals etc.). He also makes the comment that, ‘There are a few salt-sensitive individuals out there who need to use caution with any form of salt. However, they are few in number.’

Dr Brownstein writes that food tastes better with salt, because we NEED salt! Salt is essential for life and we cannot live without it.

Vegetable juices

While juice fasts are not appropriate for M.E. patients and others with severe metabolic issues, taking in some of the daily fruit and vegetable intake in juice form does have a number of advantages.

Eating the ideal amounts of fruits and vegetables each day iin severe disease can be problematic due to difficulties in chewing and swallowing, difficulty chewing large amounts of food, difficulty preparing large amounts of food and nausea.

Juicing some of the fruits and vegetables eaten daily saves effort chewing, reduces the arm and hand strain involved in using cutlery, increases enzyme, vitamin and mineral intake, can make fruits and vegetables easier to digest, can make the diet healthier and more filling, can allow a larger amount and different types vegetables to be eaten, may promote weight loss by allowing the stomach to fill up with vegetables rather than other less healthy foods. Juiced fruits and vegetables may also be easier for a patient or carer to prepare than other vegetable dishes.

Different types of juicers

Probably the most popular type of juicer is the centrifugal juicer. Other types of juicer include single and twin gear cold press juicers and two step hydraulic press juicers. Each type of juicer has its won pros and cons.

Centrifugal juicer pros: inexpensive (many models are under $100), quick and easy to use and assemble and widely available.

Centrifugal juicer cons: very noisy, poor energy efficiency, produces only average quality juice which is quickly oxidised, destroys many of the enzymes in the juice due to its high speed, produces significantly less juice than other juicers, produces juice with a fair amount of fibre, shredded fruit and vegetable pieces and foam in it, can be a hassle to clean, can’t juice wheatgrass, the unit needs cleaning after a certain amount of juice has been made as the inside fills with pulp.

Single gear cold press juicer pros: low noise, produces ultra high quality ‘live’ juice with lots of intact enzymes, vitamins and minerals, makes better tasting and more brightly coloured and less oxidised juice than centrifugal juicers, some models have a self-cleaning function (eg. Coway JuicePresso), the pulp is ejected from the machine at the same time as the juice (from a different spout) which allows for continuous juicing, inexpensive replacement parts are available.

Single gear cold press juicer cons: quite expensive ($290 to $700).

Twin gear cold press juicer pros: same as the single gear, except the juice may be of a slightly higher quality and slightly more juice will be extracted, the higher-end units may last many years longer and may have all stainless steel parts, and some may also be dishwasher safe (eg. the stainless steel Angel Juicer).

Twin gear cold press juicer cons: very expensive ($700 to $1400), some twin auger models may be slightly fiddly to set up and may require the changing of a screen mid-juicing if going from vegetables to fruit, replacement parts can be very expensive on some high-end models.

Two step hydraulic press juicer cons: very extremely expensive ($3000 for the Norwalk juicer), quite noisy, and said to be difficult, fiddly and time consuming to use and to clean.

Buying a juicer

Centrifugal juicers are not ideal and a single gear cold press juicer is a much better choice, if budget allows. If the budget doesn’t stretch to a cold press juicer however, average quality fresh juice is still far better than no juice at all or than pre-bottled juices such as V8 (shudder!).

Homemade juice from any type of juicer is far superior to any pre-packaged and pasturised (dead) juice product. These juice products are far lower in enzymes and vitamins and may contain preservatives and other chemicals and are not considered ‘live’ juice as fresh juices are.

When buying a juicer, take into account how easy it is to use, set-up and clean, the quality of the juice it produces, which foods it juices, its warranty and the company’s return policy and the availability and cost of spare parts. Patients may want to try borrowing a juicer from a friend or family member for a few weeks to see if they can tolerate drinking juices, before buying their own machine.

Some juicer selling websites feature videos of each juicer, so you can see how easy each model is to use and to clean. Reading reviews on each of the different juicers you are considering can also be helpful. How easy a juicer is to clean is very important as most juicers need to be cleaned immediately after each use.

Some juicers can also be used to make nut butters and other products.

General juicing notes

Juice fasts and all-juice diets are not appropriate for M.E. or patients with any other metabolic or mitochondrial disease. Fruit and vegetable juices must be combined with normal meals (preferably containing a protein source and some cooked vegetables) or else the juices will ‘go straight through’ and the body will not have time to absorb the nutrition from them.

M.E. patients will generally be better off juicing vegetables with a low glycaemic load.. Drinking a lot of carbohydrate or sugar all in one go can lead to problems with blood sugar, hypoglycaemia and increased hunger.

Juices from zucchinis, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, capsicums, cucumbers, lettuces, melons and cabbage may be better tolerated than juices from carrots, beetroot, oranges, apples and other fruits. Patients may have to go easy on these higher sugar varieties, or omit them entirely if problems dealing with sugars are very severe. Small amounts of carrot or apple juice can be added to other less palatable juices to make them taste better, and this may be a better way to enjoy these juices rather than just drinking them on their own.

Patients with severe problems dealing with carbohydrate rich foods may find that juices have a far less noticeable effect on mood and hypoglycaemia if they are taken together with a handful of nuts or some other fat or protein containing food.

Juices should always be consumed within 30 minutes, f possible.

What to juice and how?

Most juicing advocates recommend that only organic produce be used for juicing, or at least as much organic or home-grown produce as possible. Fruits and vegetables juiced should also be as fresh as possible and in season. Fruits and vegetables should be washed well prior to juicing, and should not be pre-cut ready for juicing very much ahead of time.

Note however that some vegetables are said to be healthier if they are cooked, to remove problematic compounds. This includes cabbage, spinach and broccoli. Patients may wish to follow this advice or see how they feel after drinking juices from these vegetables.

Watermelon can be juiced along with its seeds, while apples should always be cored before juicing. Orange peel should not be juiced. Wheatgrass juice should be limited to 30 ml/1 oz daily as larger amounts can be difficult to digest. Cucumber juice may also be difficult to digest. Ginger, garlic and parsley can be added to juices for added flavour and for their health benefits. Patients may want to search online or see if their library stocks any books on juicing, to get some ideas for healthy and tasty juice combination ideas.

Fruits that can just as easily be eaten, are eaten only in small amounts as a treat, or that are very enjoyable to eat such as mangoes or berries should probably NOT be juiced, and just enjoyed as is.

It generally takes double the amount of vegetable or fruit matter to produce the amount of juice required. So 250 grams of vegetables will produce 125 ml of juice.

Fruit and vegetable juices can aid in detoxification and so the amount of juice taken daily should be increased only gradually, to reduce the chance of any ‘detox’ or healing reactions.

How much juice should be taken daily?

How much produce is juiced daily will vary depending on several factors. These include how much other fruits and vegetables can be eaten, whether or not the patient eats a lot of grains and legumes and how well the patient tolerates the carbohydrates in the juice. It can be easy to go overboard with juicing and to consume too much carbohydrate. Drinking the juice of 4 or 5 or even 6 apples or oranges is very easy, while one would rarely if ever eat this many apples or oranges at one sitting!

Patients may want to restrict themselves to a total daily intake of 2 – 4 servings or pieces of fruit daily and 6 – 10 cups of vegetables – or whichever amounts work best for them. 25 - 50% or any other percentage of this daily intake may be turned into juice. Setting limits on how much juice is consumed at one sitting may also be helpful. For some patients 250 ml at one time may be adequate while others may be able to mange 500 ml.

Using the juicer when the patient is on a liquid or soft-food-only diet

Drinking freshly prepared fruit and vegetable juices of a far healthier way of getting the daily requirement of carbohydrates than drinking (hideously unhealthy) prepared meal replacement products which are high in sugar such as ‘Ensure.’

Additional notes

Adjusting mineral and water intake when juicing: Drinking lots of mineral rich juices may mean that a patient is able to cut back on calcium supplements, and that they will need to drink less water each day.

See www.nutritiondata.com for exact figures on the beta-carotene, vitamin and mineral content of different vegetables and fruits.

Patients with poor tolerance of carbohydrate-rich foods may need to take extra magnesium, B vitamins, vitamins C and D and chromium.

Recipes for traditional foods

The recipes on this page are mostly given as links and book recommendations. This was done in order to keep this paper brief, and also because printing recipes in full would be an unfair use of material from other authors.

As you can see from the information given below, an easy way to get almost all these recipes is to buy the excellent book ‘Nourishing Traditions’ by Sally Fallon. This book is highly recommended and also contains many other recipes than those listed.

Sauerkraut (raw cultured cabbage)

Sauerkraut is delicious and can be eaten even by those who cannot tolerate cabbage eaten raw or cooked as it is high in digestive enzymes and probiotics and easy to digest. It is also easy to make. A tablespoon or up to half a cup can be eaten with meals.

Cultured dairy products include clabbered milk, yogurt, cultured butter and kefir. The best form of yogurt is 24 hour yogurt which is very high in probiotics. The best milk to use is high quality raw milk. For those avoiding dairy, yogurt can be made with coconut milk instead.

Ghee is also known as clarified butter. Clarifying butter is easy to do and removes the dairy proteins from the fat and leaves you with a fat useful for cooking and which does not contain dairy proteins.

Grate a piece of ginger half as big as one of your finger into two cups cold water in a small pan. Bring to a boil, the turn off the heat and let it steep. The longer you steep it the stronger the drink will become. When you have it as strong as you want it, add honey and lemon to taste and enjoy. You can also add an extra nutrient boost to ginger tea, or any other tea, by melting 1-3 tablespoons of coconut oil in it.

The Untold Truth About Virgin Coconut Oil by Ian Blair Hamilton and Cassandra Bond (a free e-book). Highly recommended. Provides a short history lesson as well as a lesson on politics and how they affect health.

The Klenner Protocol for MS article by Dr Klenner. In this two-part series Klenner defines an orthomolecular treatment of MS that has been effectively employed by Dale Humpherys and other patients. (For Humpherys' report, see his article in the December 2005 issue of the Townsend Letter.)

1. Consume some sort of animal protein, including organ meats and fat, every day. 2. Consume foods that contain very high levels of minerals and fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin K2 found in seafood, organ meats and animal fats). 3. Consume some foods with a high enzyme and probiotic content. 4. Consume seeds, grains, and nuts that are soaked, sprouted, fermented, or naturally leavened in order to neutralize a portion of the naturally occurring anti-nutrients in these foods. 5. Consume plenty of natural fats but no industrial liquid or hardened (partially hydrogenated) oils. 6. Consume natural, unrefined salt. 7. Consume animal bones, usually in the form of gelatin-rich bone broths. 8. Provide extra nutrition for parents-to-be, pregnant women, breastfeeding women and growing children, to ensure the health of the next generation. 9. Do not consume refined or processed foods, including white flour, refined sweeteners, pasteurized and lowfat milk products, protein powders, industrial fats and oils and chemical additives.” WAPF

“In the old days, people made soups and stocks out of animal bones and cartilage, but no longer. The elimination of soups and stocks from our diets has contributed to digestive problems as well as joint problems. Stock and soups made from the bones of chicken, turkey, duck, beef, lamb and fish are anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and contain nutrients which help build the integrity of the digestive tract. When a person is suffering from a digestive disorder, a soup based on bone stock can bring fast relief.” WAPF (Weston A. Price Foundation)

“From 1999 - 2000 a study was done at San Lazaro hospital in Manila by Conrado S. Dayrit, MD, and the affect of coconut oil and monolaurin on the viral load of HIV patients. It was found that lauric acid did bring down the viral load of HIV patients. Dr. Dayrit is now conducting similar studies on the SARS virus, since the coconut oil consuming Philippines population was relatively unaffected by the recent SARS outbreak in China and other countries.” Virgin Coconut Oil and Viruses

“Systematic reviews of the evidence, whether published by those who believe that salt is responsible for hypertension or by those who don’t, have inevitably concluded that significant reductions in salt consumption – cutting our salt intake in half, for instance, which is difficult to accomplish in the real world – will drop blood pressure by perhaps 4 to 5 mm Hg in hypertensives and 2mm Hg in the rest of us.” – Gary Taubes, Good Calories, Bad Calories

Just 4 to 5 mm Hg? How motivating…Okay, let’s say I did decide to follow Uncle Sam’s recommendations and lowered my salt intake to almost nothing. Yeah, my blood pressure would drop a bit (4 to 5 mm Hg) at first. But I’d eventually become weak and develop digestive challenges. It’s like trading one problem for two! Salt contains chloride, which is essential for the production of hydrochloric acid (HCl). HCl is produced in the stomach and is responsible for the breakdown of proteins. When HCL is low (also known as hypochlorhydria), it can throw off the entire digestive process, as it is the acidity of the food leaving the stomach that initiates the proper function of the gallbladder and pancreas in the small intestine. New USDA Food Guidelines Strike Out Again! by UndergroundWellness.com

“A study from 1991 indicates that people need about one and one-half teaspoons of salt per day,” says Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation. “Anything less triggers a cascade of hormones to recuperate sodium from the waste stream, hormones that make people vulnerable to heart disease and kidney problems. This is proven biochemistry. Yet, FDA as well as USDA want to mandate drastically restricted sodium consumption at about one-half teaspoon per day.”

“We have pointed out that concerns about vitamin A toxicity are exaggerated. While some forms of synthetic vitamin A found in supplements can be toxic at only moderately high doses, fat-soluble vitamin A naturally found in foods like cod liver oil, liver, and butterfat is safe at up to ten times the doses of water-soluble, solidified and emulsified vitamin A found in some supplements that produce toxicity. Additionally, the vitamin D found in cod liver oil and butterfat from pasture-raised animals protects against vitamin A toxicity, and allows one to consume a much higher amount of vitamin A before it becomes toxic.Liver from land mammals is high in vitamin A but low in vitamin D, and should therefore be consumed with other vitamin D-rich foods such as lard or bacon from pasture-raised pigs, egg yolks, and oily fish, or during months in which UV-B light is sufficient to provide one with adequate vitamin D.” Sally Fallon and Mary Enig.

“Once a standard supplement in traditional European societies, cod liver oil provides fat-soluble vitamins A and D, which Dr. Price found present in the diet of primitives in amounts ten times higher than in modernized diets. Cod liver oil supplements are a must for women and their male partners, to be taken for several months before conception, and for women during pregnancy. Growing children will also benefit greatly from a small daily dose.” Sally Fallon and Mary Enig.

“In general, the test totals are substantially higher for vitamin D than one would find in any industrialized cod liver oil. Whereas the highvitamin cod liver oil contains almost 12,000 IU vitamin A and 1200 IU vitamin D per teaspoon (five milliliters), the fermented oil contains 4,000 - 9,000 IU vitamin A per teaspoon and 3,000 - 4,000 IU vitamin D. The vitamin levels likely test lower because we are only testing for retinol and palmitate, not for all the other vitamin A isomers.” David Wetzel

“Most of those who have consumed the fermented cod liver oil report that it is not as fishy tasting as the industrialized varieties. However, because it is a lacto-fermented product, it can leave a slight sting on the back of the throat, which some find bothersome. It is best to take the oil mixed with a small amount of warm water, swallowing quickly. Adding something acidic such as lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or kombucha may help with the tingling at the back of the throat. Others report good results adding a little honey or maple syrup or “chasing fat with fat” by following the cod liver oil with cream, egg yolk or butter. Another way to minimize the throat tingle effect is to take it during or after a fatty breakfast.” David Wetzel

“Unrefined salt is an excellent, traditional source of nearly 80 trace minerals. In fact, this natural bacteria-inhibiting preservative can be considered a mineral “supplement” that is essential to life. On the other hand, pristine white refined varieties are heated to excessive temperatures (some up to 1200 degrees F), stripped of all nutrients, and combined with a myriad of undesirable substances, such as aluminum, sugar and anti-caking agents. Replace these over-refined varieties with mineral-rich, properly harvested salts, such as Celtic, Himalayan, RealSalt and Lima. They offer an abundance of healing qualities and their high moisture and trace mineral content are evident by their subtle grey to pink mineral hues.15 Most health food stores stock one or more of these selections.” WAPF

Note that the aim of this site is to provide a starting point for health and healing research for ill people; especially very overwhelmed and disabled ill people. This site provides recommendations, summaries and reviews of books but is not meant to be a replacement for actually reading some of these wonderful health books if the reader is at all well enough to do so. (Plus getting individualised advice from a doctor that is also an orthomolecular medicine expert if possible). There is no substitute for reading as many of these books as you can. The HHH site can only really hint at their full brilliance. The amount of insight, scientific references, logic, intelligence, compassion and experience in the recommended books will most likely amaze you. HHH aims to encourage people to do their own reading and learning, and to always make up their own minds. All content copyright Jodi Bassett 2006 - 2014.

Disclaimer: HHH does not dispense medical advice or recommend treatment, and assumes no responsibility for treatments undertaken by visitors to the site. It is a resource providing information for education, research and advocacy only. In no way does reading this site replace the need for an evaluation of your entire health history from a physician. Please consult your own health-care provider regarding any medical issues relating to the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition.